Sweet Dreams
by carameltootsieroll
Summary: "He would toss and turn every night, his mind never seeming to fall asleep no matter how tired his body was." Barry hasn't been sleeping well lately and he finds out that apparently, the Flash wasn't excluded from catching the stomach flu. But at least he had Caitlin to help him have sweet dreams again. (s01e18-19, two-shot, sickfic, Snowbarry)
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: **_**Hi everyone! Yeah, another sickfic by yours truly because I've been hit by a lethal case of writer's block :( Boohoo because I can't seem to find the motivation to update my other story, _Hero _either :( Waaah someone please help me get over this writer's block!**

**Anywayyy, this fic is inspired by s01e18! Meh, not much of a plot in this fic, but expect some Snowbarry fluff!**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own The Flash awwww sux for me**_

* * *

Barry sighed and closed his eyes, allowing the fatigue in his body to wash over him. The past few days had been tough on the team at Star Labs. Not to mention the awkward tension between Barry and Dr. Wells, but things have been off with him and Caitlin too. She was the one with the least doubts of Dr. Wells' good nature, and she had been keeping her distance with Barry ever since Barry had spilled his qualms about Harrison.

_Whatever, _Barry thought. _At least I got that issue off my chest. _But there was something else Barry hadn't been telling his friends.

He hadn't had a good night's sleep in _days_.

Okay, it was a lot worse than it sounded.

Sleep deprivation was _ruining_ him. His mind was always on overdrive every single night since the day he had started to doubt Wells. He would toss and turn every night, his mind never seeming to fall asleep no matter how tired his body was. He had been waking up with deeper and darker circles under his eyes and his concentration off.

If it was really Wells who had killed his mother…

Barry took a deep breath and shook his head. He couldn't start thinking about that now.

He had to stop overthinking. He knew that if he kept up with the act, he'd eventually go crazy. And even if he didn't go crazy, his friends would probably see him as so.

For one thing, he had snapped at Caitlin this morning when she had asked him if he was fine. Thinking back to it, he didn't think it was a pretty wise move. Now, Caitlin had even more reasons to avoid him. No one wanted to be in the company of someone in a bad mood.

But it was difficult _not_ to be in a bad mood, especially when his head was pounding and his vision was swimming. He could barely keep himself steady on his own two feet as he waited for Joe to wrap things up at the Police Station before they both headed out for lunch.

On a second thought, he wasn't even sure he had the appetite for lunch.

"Phew, that was a hell of a long morning," Joe muttered as he appeared in the doorway. He had a smug grin on his face, his eyes weary with exhaustion. Barry guessed that he wasn't the only one feeling tired today. "There have been really weird reports lately."

Barry pushed himself off from the wall he had been leaning on. "Weird reports? What do you mean?"

Joe shrugged and started to walk ahead. "Mostly robberies and petty crimes. But the 'weird' factor is that the people accused of those crimes are the last people we'd suspect. And I actually believe that they're innocent, but I can't find hard proof that they are." Joe stopped in his tracks and turned back to face Barry. His eyebrows were knit together like he was deep in thought. "If you went through those reports, I'd guess that you'd sense something out of the ordinary going on. Something not...human."

Barry tried to ignore the fact that he was seeing two Joe's in his sight. "Not human...Metahuman?" he prompted. He cleared his throat and attempted to stand up straight. Why was he so disoriented anyway?

Joe grinned. "Precisely what I was thinking. Come on, let's get some lunch at your favorite burger bar."

Okay, that was it. Barry's appetite was officially gone. He swallowed hard, his stomach contracting violently. Maybe what he was suffering from was more than sleep deprivation? Was he actually...getting sick?

"Hey, Barry?" Joe said, tilting his head to the side. "You okay? You don't look so good."

Barry forced a smile, but it came out more like a grimace. "I'm fine," he lied, waving off Joe's concern. "Just a bit tired. Had a rough week with Cisco and Caitlin at Star Labs. Caitlin especially, she doesn't seem to believe me on my theory about Dr. Wells."

Joe frowned but beckoned Barry to keep walking. "We'll talk about it after we get ourselves lunch, alright? I'm sure your mood is fixable by a burger or two."

Barry gulped and added under his breath so Joe wouldn't hear, "Or maybe just half a burger."

* * *

Caitlin was confused.

No, scratch that.

She was utterly and hopelessly baffled and perplexed by the theory Barry had presented to her and Cisco just a few days ago. Harrison Wells, the Reverse Flash? That was bull! She would never believe that. She'd never _want _to believe that.

The immediate months following the particle accelerator mishap were probably the worst of her life. She felt lost and alone; her fiancé had just died, her job was in jeopardy, and basically she had no clue as to what step she was going to take next.. But through that all, Dr. Wells had been by her side, constantly reminding her that she was going to make it through alive. They all were. And they were going to do it together.

But if what Barry said were true, then nothing mattered anymore. If what Barry said were true, that would make everything a lie. Her job would be a lie. The friendship she had formed with Dr. Wells would be a lie. Star Labs would be a lie.

But Star Labs couldn't be a lie. It was where she found solace whenever she felt lost. Star Labs was where she had formed amazing friendships. Star Labs was where she had found a purpose to her existence: to use science to help humanity.

But if what Barry said were true, then her entire _life_ would be one big freaking lie.

She wasn't ready to have her entire life's work crumble to a meaningless nothing just yet.

"RIIING RIIINGG RINGGGG!"

Caitlin jumped up in her seat at the sudden alarm. The computer monitor she was facing was suddenly flashing, a red dot dancing on the map.

"Bank robbery," she murmured, reaching for her cellphone instinctively. She wasn't exactly on good terms with Barry at the moment, but that wasn't an excuse not to notify him. He still was the Flash. Central City needed him.

"Barry, robbery down at Sixth Avenue!" she yelled into the phone as soon as Barry picked up.

* * *

"You not gonna eat that?" Joe asked Barry, pointing to the untouched half of the burger that Barry had left atop the table.

Barry shook his head, suddenly finding himself too tired to speak up in reply.

Joe reached for the burger without hesitation, and stuffed it in his mouth. "Hold up, aren't you supposed to be eating like, three of these?" he said in-between chews. "Doesn't your super-fast metabolism make you hungry like, 24/7 or something?"

"Not today," Barry groaned, feeling his stomach jump at the mention of food.

Joe set the burger down on his plate and eyed Barry suspiciously. "Okay, something's definitely wrong with you today, Barry."

"I'm just stressed out, no biggie," Barry lied. "The atmosphere at Star Labs is really tense. I - " he trailed off, the energy to continue talking suddenly sapped from him.

"Are you sure that's the only thing bothering you right now?" Joe asked. He squinted at Barry. "Because you look like you haven't slept in _days_."

Barry gulped. Damn, did he really look as bad as he felt?

"Are you sure you aren't sick or something?" Joe reached out across the table, probably to check if Barry was running a fever or something, but Barry dodged his hand with super speed.

"The Flash doesn't get sick," Barry murmured, ignoring the dizziness that using his super speed caused. Hey, he really couldn't get sick, right? His new Metahuman abilities had to include a super strong immune system, right?

"Say that again without looking like you're about to pass-out and I might just believe you," Joe told him.

Barry was about to argue when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out, almost not believing the name that appeared on the screen.

_Incoming call from Caitlin Snow. _

"Excuse me," he told Joe before answering Caitlin's call. "Caitlin? What's up?" his heart was hammering against his chest. He hadn't had a proper conversation with Caitlin in a while. Why was she suddenly calling him up now?

"Barry! Robbery down at sixth avenue!" she yelled, her voice strained. "I can't tell yet if it's just some regular criminal or a Metahuman. I guess you'll just have to figure it out when you get there."

Barry could feel his stomach protesting at the thought of using his super speed again. He stifled a groan, going for a fake enthusiastic, "Be there in a flash!"

He shoved his phone back in his pocket and nodded at Joe from across the table, ignoring the look of worry that his adopted father faced him with. "Need to stop a robbery happening downtown. I'll catch up with you later?"

"Maybe you should let the Central City Police take this one, Barry. I really think you should get some rest," Joe said.

"'Rest' doesn't exist in The Flash's vocabulary," Barry chuckled. He waved goodbye to Joe before dashing off.

The minute his surroundings started to blur around him as he sped by, Barry instantly regretted his decision. Okay, maybe Joe was right and he should have let the CCP take this criminal down. Disoriented, Barry nearly bumped into a bus that was crossing the intersection. He tried to shake his weariness off but the task proved hard, especially with his churning stomach and dizziness.

He was still quite some distance from Sixth Avenue, but he knew his body was too exhausted to continue the rest of the way.

_Star Labs, _he thought. It was nearer where he was now compared to Sixth Avenue. Maybe he could crash there, and maybe Caitlin would even help him figure out what was wrong with him. She'd help him, right? Even if they had been on not so good terms the past few days?

He stumbled into the main room of Star Labs, tripping over his feet as he came to a staggering halt. Caitlin was at her usual desk, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she peered into the computer screen.

"Caitlin..." Barry croaked weakly as he stumbled to his knees. She was a mere blob in his vision; dizziness overpowering his sense of sight.

"Barry? What are you doing here? Oh God, are you hurt?" She jumped up from her seat and came to his side, taking hold of his arm. Her fingers were soothingly cool against his skin. "Oh my God, you're burning up. What happened to you?"

Barry groaned, doubling over. His stomach did _not _sure enjoy the super speed trip down Central City. "Not sure," he moaned, wrapping his arms around his abdomen.

"You're running a pretty high fever," Caitlin murmured, raising the back of her hand up to his forehead. "Metahumans can get sick?"

"I don't know," Barry replied. "Aren't you supposed to know? I mean, you are the doctor."

Caitlin frowned, brushing back a strand of Barry's hair. "You look terrible. You should probably lie down on the couch or something. What hurts?"

She sounded so much like a mother that Barry would have laughed if he wasn't feeling so terrible, but his gut cramped and the next thing he knew, he was retching on the tiles of the floor.

"Barry!" Caitlin gasped, jumping out of the way.

His vision dimmed and then everything went black.

* * *

_**A/N: **_**Okay, I have no idea what the heck I just wrote up there. Leave me a review and tell me what you think will happen in the next chapter?**

**Can't wait for tomorrow's episode! Wahhh I really, really, really, hope we get our fair share of LEGITIMATE Snowbarry this time! **


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: **_**WOW I'm so sorry it took me forever to update this fic! Anyway, here's the second and last chapter of **_**Sweet Dreams**_**! I actually had a lot of fun writing this teehee my guilty pleasure is Snowbarry and I BADLY NEED THIS SHIP TO BE CANON HUHU (Last week's episode broke my heart, it literally shredded my heart into a million pieces and I couldn't even bring myself to clean up the mess)**

**Thanks a bunch to those who reviewed (**_**Starcalista, fencejumper89, rosalina2123, Airsay, an anonymous guest, and BellaBloor), **_**favorited (**_**wolfprincess14, rosalina2123, puppyrose, nico2883, fencejumper89, caitlinmontgomery, , Pegasi1, , Happy 17, Felidaes' Tale, Damon-girl96, BellaBloor, and Airsay) **_**and followed (**_**Airsay, Aurora02, BellaBloor, BethBoop , Deranged Black Kitten, **_

_**Happy17, Mephistopheles' apprentice, , Pats, Pelkatoffel, Purple-Sherlock-1985, Squall0104, ZRyder, , domxnstrousthings, fencejumper89**_

_**rosalina2123, sandrawho, saraweir, sarina20188, teamstrange, tlomech700**_**) You guys mean so much to me, ya have no idea! TYSM!**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I don't own The Flash or any of the characters boooohoooo**

* * *

Caitlin didn't even know the Flash could catch the stomach flu. Nevertheless, having the said superhero throw up all over the lab's tile floors and pass out cold was not a fun way to find out. She silently cursed herself as she scurried out the room to grab Barry some ginger tea for when he woke up; she _should have_ seen this coming. She should have done more research on Barry's new immune system, altered by the Particle-Accelerator explosion.

_Should have._ It was such a painful phrase. There were actually so many things she _should have_ done, _should have_ foreseen.

Dr. Wells, for example.

She should have foreseen what he could do. If he really was the Reverse Flash…

Caitlin was interrupted by a groan from the testing room. She took hold of the mug of steaming ginger tea that she had just made and sped as quick as she could back to Barry.

Barry was finally coming to after a three-hour nap. He pushed himself up from the bed Cisco had set him down in after he had passed out, and rubbed his eyes. "What the…" he muttered, obviously dazed and confused about his surroundings. "The robbery...Central City Police...have to -" he muttered, attempting to get out of the bed.

"Barry!" Caitlin reached him just in time, stopping him before his feet could come into contact with the cold floor. "Barry, we've got everything under control. For now, you just need to rest."

Barry blinked at her. His face was paler than usual, a sheen layer of sweat on his forehead. Caitlin took that as a good sign; that meant his fever was probably breaking...for now.

"What happened? I can't remember anything after speeding down Central City," he said weakly, allowing Caitlin to push him back to lay on the pillows.

"You um, kinda passed out, Barry," Caitlin told him.

It took Barry a few seconds before registration kicked in. "Oh," he muttered, turning beet red. "Oh my God, I remember stuff now. Did I really mess up the floor?"

Caitlin managed to smile."Well, let's just say that you owe me and Cisco big time, sick boy." She used the back of her hand to feel his forehead. His skin was slightly cooler than it had been a few hours ago, when he had stumbled into Star Labs, his skin burning with a 104 degree fever. "Your temperature has gone down, thanks to the hydration process. You still need a lot of rest though, Barry."

"Hydration?"

"We sort of stuck an IV in you while you were out. You were dehydrated badly," Caitlin explained. Barry glanced down at his wrist, rubbing it.

"So, Joe was able to sort out the robbery?" he asked.

Caitlin nodded. "Yeah, he and his team have it covered." She tried to smile at him, after all it had been quite some time since they had had an actual conversation that didn't just consist of nods and cold shoulders. "Anyway, how are you feeling?"

Barry gulped noticeably. "I'm fine," he grunted.

"Seriously?" Caitlin chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Enough with the lies, Barry."

Only after Barry flinched did Caitlin realize her words had a double meaning to them. The two of them haven't been on good speaking terms in a while, and Barry had probably taken her phrase negatively. Caitlin bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I know you're telling the truth Barry, it's just - " she sighed, shaking her head. "I'm not ready to believe that Doctor Wells is the bad guy. He's been my most trusted colleague, if you don't know."

Caitlin waited for Barry to say something, but he remained silent, his eyes still downcast and set on his wrist where the IV needle had pierced his skin and left a mark.

"Barry," Caitlin tried again. "I'm sorry. Please don't mind me. We'll - um, talk about this later when you're feeling better."

Caitlin, dejected, was about to stand and leave when Barry suddenly gripped her hand. "Hey, Caitlin, I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to force my theory on you. It's just that I'm tired of having my dad in prison for the wrong reason. I want justice for my mom. I want justice for my dad." He smiled up at her. "It's my fault too. I'm sorry. Can we put this behind us? The way we've been treating each other has been crazy. You guys, you and Cisco, are my friends and I only want the best for you guys."

Caitlin returned his smile. Barry was apologizing for his behavior, and somehow, everything seemed okay again between the two of them. Heck, their misunderstanding did seem pretty stupid. Disagreeing over Wells' true nature? What the hell, that wasn't a mystery for them to argue over, it was something they were going to investigate together. As a team. "We'll get justice for your parents, Barry. I promise," she told him, squeezing his hand. "So now, will you tell me what really is going on with you?"

"Kinda feeling nauseated," Barry said, finally opening up. "I can still get sick? I thought the Blast affected my body so that I can heal quickly?"

Caitlin frowned. "Well, I ran a few tests on you earlier, and it seems to me that though you are immune to viruses, you still have a 10-percent chance of catching bugs."

"Wow. Probability definitely worked in my favor today," Barry groaned sarcastically. "What do I have anyway? I haven't felt this bad since...I can't even remember."

"Based on the tests I ran, seems to be a case of the stomach flu," Caitlin told him. "A viral case. A few days' rest and you'll feel better in no time."

"A few days?" Barry asked. "But what about all the Metahuman attacks and - "he suddenly stopped.

"And how do you plan on attacking evil Metahumans while in your current state?" Caitlin said smugly.

Barry gulped again, his face turning a nasty shade of green. "I - I think I'm gonna be sick," he muttered.

"I'm sure the Metahumans would appreciate getting puked on - "

"No, Caitlin, I really think I need to - ugh," he groaned, cupping a hand over his mouth. Caitlin _should have_ seen this coming as well. She lept out of the stool she was sitting on and grabbed the nearest trash bin.

"Ooops, hold on!" she yelled and pushed the bin next to his bed. Barry leaned over and his lunch made another reappearance in the trash bin.

"Easy there," Caitlin said, rubbing his back as he got sick. She found it ironic how she was a doctor, yet she still could barely stand the sight of her patients vomiting. It almost made her sick herself. But she decided to stay by Barry's side, rubbing soothing circles into his back until he was done.

"This is so embarrassing," Barry groaned, falling back onto the pillows. "Please try to forget you ever saw me throwing up."

"Hey, it's not like you never saw me being sick," Caitlin laughed. "And I was drunk; I think that was even more embarrassing."

To her relief, Barry laughed weakly. "Okay, I guess we're even then." He wrapped his arms tight around his middle. "So how long am I supposed to feel like I just ate too much candy and stepped off a really bad roller coaster?"

"Give it three days, Barry," Caitlin said, trying to pry his hands off his stomach. "Stomach rub?" she offered.

Barry's cheeks went red and he avoided her eyes. "What?" he asked, flustered.

"It'll make you feel better, I promise," Caitlin said. "And no, I'm not about to take advantage of you while you're lying helpless. Barry, what are you even thinking of?"

"Nothing," he murmured as Caitlin drew his shirt up a bit, and began to massage, kneading deep circles into his stomach.

"Wow, that actually feels really good," Barry muttered, his eyes drooping. In a few more minutes, the Flash was out like a light.

Barry slipped in and out of his nap, waking up occasionally to throw up. It was painful for Caitlin to watch him. She wasn't used to seeing him so weak and vulnerable. Heck, he was The Flash! He was the one who saved the weak and vulnerable; he wasn't supposed to be the one who needed to be taken care of.

"Mom?" he croaked some time well into the night. Caitlin rubbed the sleep out of her eyes; she had been awake all night by Barry's bedside, taking care of the sick boy. "Mom, where are you?"

"Ssssh," she told him gently. "You're dreaming, Barry."

"It's too dark Mom," he said. "Where are you?"

Caitlin felt like her heart was being ripped into a million pieces. Barry was probably having a nightmare, his fevered brain probably thinking that he could call for his mom. But how could she tell him that his mom was no longer around for him now?

She squeezed his hand gently. "Barry, go back to sleep."

"No…" he muttered, pushing her hand away. "Dr. Wells killed my Mom. He killed her...he…"

"Barry," she tried again, a bit more desperate. "Go back to sleep, please." Then she did something that surprised even her. She leaned down over him and kissed his forehead. His skin was warm against her lips, but she felt his forehead relax, the tension releasing from his body as he sank back down against the pillows.

"You'll be alright," she told him. She thought she caught a quick smile pass on Barry's face as he started to relax. "Cisco and I, we'll make sure Wells will get the punishment he deserves and your parents get justice. Sweet dreams, Allen."

* * *

Barry felt slightly better the next morning. His stomach wasn't bothering him as much and his vision wasn't spinning so badly. He woke to find Caitlin snoring by his bedside, her head resting on the side of his bed. Her blonde curls were tangled and her clothes were crumpled like she hadn't bothered to look in the mirror for the past twenty-four hours.

"Caitlin?" he grunted, and the young doctor suddenly sprung up, her hair flying.

"Barry, you're awake!" she noted. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to doze-off while I was on duty, I - "

"On duty?"

"Taking care of you, Allen. Duh," Caitlin said matter-of-factly. She pointed to herself. "I'm the doctor here, remember?"

"But you look like you haven't had enough rest yourself," he said. She had dark circles under her eyes and her eyeliner was smudged.

"You were up all night expelling your insides," she said. "How was I supposed to get any proper sleep?"

"Oh," Barry murmured, guilt suddenly kicking in. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you awake all ni - "

Caitlin held a hand up, stopping him mid-sentence. "Don't apologize for being sick. I hate it when my patients do that. Just focus on getting better, yes?"

"Well, I do actually feel a bit better now. Not that dizzy anymore," he said, glancing around the room and enjoying how things actually didn't spin and twirl when he stared at them.

Caitlin glanced at her watch. "You managed to get a good eight straight hours of sleep since you last woke up with that night terror you had around midnight."

Barry stared at her. "Night terror? What did I do?"

"You…" Caitlin began uneasily. "You were asking for your Mom."

Barry felt a sudden wave of sadness wash over him. "Oh," he managed to say. He couldn't remember anything from his nightmare, but the wave of sadness seemed familiar, like he had experienced the same emotions last night.

"I'm guessing last night wasn't your first episode of bad dreams lately," Caitlin said, reading his mind. "Spill it, Allen. Since when have you been having those nightmares?"

"It's been a couple of weeks, actually," Barry admitted. "I haven't been sleeping properly lately. It's either I can't fall asleep at night, or I wake up in the middle of the night from some bad dream and I can't fall asleep again."

Caitlin shook her head. "Figures. Your immune system was attacked because you haven't had proper rest in a while."

Barry stayed silent. Boom. Caitlin had figured his problem out and read him like an open book. He didn't exactly know what to feel.

"Barry, you okay?" Caitlin interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah," he said. "It's just that I can't seem to get Wells out of my head. I know it's bad to overthink and stuff, but I just really want my dad out of prison. I feel like the entire thing is partly my fault."

"Your fault? Barry, that's the last way you should be thinking about this!" Caitlin scolded him. "No, seriously. The only thing that you have to be blamed for is getting sick. You could have avoided catching this bug if you were sleeping properly. And no, don't you start arguing with me yet. You could have been sleeping properly if you got this problem off your chest. Don't you ever forget that you have friends, Barry. Me, and Cisco. You also have Iris, and Joe. You have people you can trust all around you. Don't forget that."

Barry let that sink in. Caitlin did have a point. A very profound point. He could have avoided this entire mess if he had just opened up to his friends.

"Doesn't it feel so much better to open up?" Caitlin asked him.

"Yeah, it does actually," Barry said. Caitlin smiled at him and offered him a steaming mug of ginger tea. "Drink up, Flash. Central City needs you to get well soon."

* * *

_**A/N: **_**Ooops, I admit that was a rather abrupt ending. Hope you guys still enjoyed this chapter anyway! Tell me what you think in your reviews! And yes, feel free to PM me if you want to fangirl about The Flash hehe **** Any writing prompts are highly appreciated too! Thanks again for your support in this story! Honestly didn't expect it to come up with a huge following hehe**

**LONG LIVE SNOWBARRY!**


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